A US drone strike has reportedly killed three suspected al-Qaeda members in central Yemen, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.

The drone fired missiles at a vehicle said to be carrying the militants in Rada, Al-Bayada province, on Saturday.

A well-known fighter, Saleh al-Ameri, is thought to have been killed in the strike.

The attack follows a number of drone strikes in recent days in Yemen. On Friday, two people were killed and last Monday six suspected al-Qaeda members were taken out, including a Jordanian, in similar strikes.

The use of US drones has become increasingly prevalent in Yemen, leading U.S. liberals to condemn their usage. Drones piloted from bases in the US have supported Yemeni forces in their battle with jihadist networks for several years.

During the revolution against former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh last year, al-Qaeda militants grabbed large swaths of land in the south from the army, which was only retaken during a bitter offensive in May.